There are many types of computing systems, each having its own set of features, capabilities and advantages. As examples, there are general-purpose systems optimized for a broad set of applications or components, and special-purpose systems and accelerators optimized for a specific set of applications or components. Each type of system is defined, in part, by the instruction set architecture that it implements, and each is distinct from the others.
The general-purpose systems may include, for instance, mainframe computers able to provide high-end, high-availability, reliable services, and/or modular systems (e.g., blades of a blade center chassis), and the special-purpose systems may include co-processors or blades of a blade center chassis able to efficiently perform specific tasks. Each system manages its workload in its own individual manner and is separately responsible for performing requested services. Typically, each of the systems introduces its own specific administration model, resulting in system-specific management tooling, forming separate and distinct management silos.
The different system architectures are used to serve the disparate needs of the applications. Even for one application (e.g., a banking application, an online reservation application, etc.), multiple, disparate systems may be used, resulting in higher complexity and cost.